No Longer the Leader
by Michaela Will
Summary: A heart to heart between Artemis and Minako explaining the difference between first and second season Minako.


No Longer the Leader by Michaela Wills

And falling back against the roof of her new home, she sighed. That sigh meant a whole lot to her, I knew, it spoke volumes to me, although no one else but I could possibly understand why. It penetrated the midnight air, potent with relief, satisfaction and more than anything else, full release.

I pursed my mouth shut. Usually, I can be more than obnoxious and she wouldn't appreciate my sarcasm or humor now. I sighed. If SHE were here, She'd knock some more sense into me. She was always the only one who could. Of course, She was also the one who transformed me into a silly little kitten again, making me positively gleeful with her attention, negative or positive. It would send me into antics and crack-up jokes that everyone would groan over, but as long as She paid attention, I'd never mind. And I relaxed, curling up into a comfortable ball, head on my paws, knowing I would see HER again soon. Luna. I saw her tonight and she's still the same, as beautiful and witty as ever.

More than anything though, I was relieved. One of the greatest weights that I had tossed mercilessly onto this poor girl was lifted tonight. Until now, I was always in constant torment as to whether awakening her spirit as Venus when I did was right. Why couldn't I have been patient,  
satisfied with knowing I'd found Mina and remain a silly little white cat in her eyes until she was really needed?

Yet I had been impulsive that afternoon, when she crashed into me during her dismount at the uneven bars, and now it felt like it was so long ago. Yet everything was okay now, I hadn't failed my mistress too badly, although if SHE was around . . .

No. No, no, no, no. Don't think like that, I told myself, I can't be dependent on Her all the time. Even despite my rash actions so long ago everything had turned out fine. She'd found the other senshi. She was no longer Sailor V, but my Venus again. Minako breathed in the night air contentedly, resting her hands behind her head as she rested atop the roof.

"Aren't they cool, Artemis?" she asked me, looking up at the stars, but I knew who she meant. "I'm so glad we found them, and I get to meet them tomorrow, for real, without the heshin stuff and magic. I wasn't sure if it was them before, but I'm so glad . . ." She paused in reflection. "Artemis?"

She looked over at me, worry covering her eyes, and fear. I looked up at my student, my protégé, my mistress, my trainee . . . my savior.

"Yeah, Mina?"

"Can I tell them? It is okay to tell them?" her voice wavered in pain and uncertainty. I was surprised to say the least, what was this all about?

"Mina? Tell them what? I don't know what you're talking about, you said you weren't the Princess, what else should they know?"

She sighed, looking up at the stars. Her eyes closed for a moment as she drank in the night. Her hair fanned around her as she de-transformed from her Sailor Venus form, she'd been so glad to leave the red, blue and white of Sailor V behind. Her sweater and jeans reminiscent of an ordinary teen, the wind whipped at us, reminding me of why she wore that sweater as her hair flew around us, a curtain of gold like her Crescent Beam attack. Golden strands that accented her features wonderfully. I chuckled, Venus at her finest. God, she's becoming a beautiful young woman, if it wasn't for Lun- . . . whoa Artie, don't go there!

"I know Artemis."

My ears perked at the way she said that.

"Know what, Mins?" She smiled at my private nickname for her. There is no way in hell she'd let me call her that before the others but . . .

"I'm supposed to be the leader of the scouts." she paused retrospectively as I recoiled. I'd vaguely remembered something about that but I was honestly unsure . . . And with my other fears about awakening her as Venus, I'd never dared to bring it up. It wasn't worth it, we'd always been alone. Just Sailor V and her white cat, Artemis.

"I remember Artemis. I didn't want to say it, but now I have. I'm the leader. Sailor Moon didn't exist in the Moon Kingdom, Artemis, I know  
that, just like I know I'm the leader. I don't know how I know I just . . . DO, I have known. So the question is . . . who is she? And is she the leader now or am I?"

We sat in a moment of silence. I couldn't speak, trying to remember if there WAS a Sailor Moon. The thought hadn't actually crossed my mind before. I'd just assumed, but since Mina brought it up I was racking my little kitty mind.

Mars, Mercury and Jupiter seemed to accept this Sailor Moon's authority. And since Luna had been with them, I saw her there, that had to mean something about Sailor Moon's credibility. Plus there was the evidence of the Crescent Moon Wand. It had been the symbol of leadership in the past . . . I knew that, although it had never belonged to Venus. It was the property of the one above Venus and if there was one thing I'd always been proud of, that stood out like a flagship in my mind, it was that there were very, very few superior to my Venus.

"Who is important enough that they'd been made to represent the Moon as a Sailor in this time?" Mina murmured, pondering this question, searching her memories, as few as they were. I barely could recall the other scouts in uniform and our mission to defeat Beryl and find the Princess and I was sure (at least up until now) that my memory was more intact. . .

She sighed as I settled. I knew these new questions would plague us both until they were solved, yet we were both too tired to think straight tonight. We'd have to think this through another night.

"Well," I said finally to answer her earlier question, "I don't think so. From everything that I can remember, I would have to guess that Moon would be above Venus, since the Moon was the center of . . . is . .  
Of . . . Of SOMETHING." God I hated these memory lapses. "Plus, she had the Crescent Moon Wand, which is a symbol of leadership. So I believe that it's safe to say that you can let her be the leader."

Another sigh followed. Yet this one deeper and much more important her. It suddenly occurred to me that she'd always known she had this responsibility that I'd just lifted. That despite the other things we had forgotten, she'd always just known she had extra accountability of being a leader. The thought shocked me. All the tiny differences between the care-free Minako she'd been before I came to her and the serious one she was now made sense. I shook my head a little, trying to comprehend what I'd just discovered about my dedicated charge.

She had become Sailor V, the one that I knew anyhow, with the knowledge of being a leader. It caused her to change herself. The tiny bits of the carefree Aino Minako that I'd noticed before awakening the Venus within her had been crushed under the weight of her responsibilities. The Mina I knew wasn't the real one. It was a Minako she created because she needed to be the leader.

But she wasn't the leader anymore.

So what is going to happen to the Minako that I'd learned to live with? The thoughtful, conscientious Mina who sometimes knew what was going on better than me? Would she stick around or would Mina let go and be who she was before? How much did her leadership responsibility impact her?

How much did I screw up my only charge?

Mina slipped off the roof and into her bedroom window and I for one was glad she didn't drag me in. I needed a good sulk. By Serenity! I'd messed up her whole personality with my meddling! I looked up to the moon that night, and prayed to everything out there that I was sure of. Let Mina be herself now. Let the release soothe her. Let this make up for all the pain I caused her, all the heartache and responsibility I never knew I caused her. Let this heal it, please!

I felt like crying, but it only came as a yeowl and a whimper. By the Moon, I hated myself, for never knowing, never noticing, for causing her pain. It HAD to have, I knew it! My whimpering became unconsciously louder as I wallowed in self-pity and loathing. How could I have been so blind! I was male, yes, but that's no excuse! I failed her, I failed her, I failed her!

I realized that someone was stroking my fur, holding me close. I looked up to see Mina gently rubbing me behind my ears, stroking me warmly, smiling.

"Don't cry, Artsy, everything's gonna be fine now. We found the others and we'll find the Princess. Don't cry, we've done our jobs well so far. I have no regrets." She said softly as I almost chuckled through my tears. Count on Mins to know what's wrong with me, when I have no idea when she's in pain that's not physical. She was always better with sensing emotions than me.

Artsy and Mins, what a pair. I nearly choked.

And we sat there, me taking in the moment. One of the last ones I'd have with this responsible Minako. Not that I minded. Mina is Mina and I knew I'd like the rest of her personality too, the more carefree parts she'd been suppressing that would slowly surface. I was eager to get to know the rest of it. I was sure she'd change, even if it was only a little or if it was a lot. And I was ready for it.

It was the end of our partnership. Tomorrow we'd join the other senshi for good and change ourselves permanently. I'd have my Luna back, and Mina would be able to release her leadership responsibilities. We'd no longer be a pair, but part of a team.

I couldn't wait.

---

Author's Notes and Disclaimer:

I don't own Aino Minako or Artemis and all rights belong to the original author (Takeuchi Naoko) for her magna and various other companies for their renditions and products. I'm only using these characters for the enjoyment of other fans and don't mean to infringe on any copyrights, ect. I don't mean any ill will on the charcters or their owners

This story, fits into the first season of SM after the first appearance of Sailor Venus, NA Anime episode: Sailor Venus Makes the Scene; JP Anime episode: Saigono Sailor Senshi Venus toujou.  
Its based on my theory of Mina's maturity drop between the first and second seasons. It answers the question of 'why?' and the questions asked by Artemis in this fanfic are answered in the SMR season of Sailormoon. So in that sense, I believe it explains itself. Please let me know what you think.  
-Michaela 


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